Three words to one of the fascists at Little Green Footballs.
As John Cole says, "Sidney Jackson, American hero."
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Let's Not Surrender Complete Control to The Google Just Yet
I guess when you've named your company after a number that has 101 digits, you don't worry so much about those with just one. Still, I am troubled (click to enlarge):
In fairness, they did say "about."
(And yes, there were actually seven results -- I only grabbed the top part of the screen.)
Less silly is the question: Who is "Philips Brook Group?" First link in the above leads to this. Yep. Yet another shadowy, well-financed group of GOP ratfuckers, it would appear.
(h/t: The Rude Pundit)
A Win No Matter What Happens
One happy result of the way the primaries came out is that Mark Penn is writing op-eds in The Financial Times rather than advising the next President of the United States …
-- Matthew Yglesias
Frying Pan, Fire, and So Forth
Question: Coming down the presidential home stretch, and considering how other people will react to the news, would you rather receive the endorsement of the American Nazi Party or Dick Cheney?
Yeah, but let's just say you had to.
And don't miss Be a credit, to your race, on the same great blog.
In Other Last-Minute-Before-The-Election News
11.03.08 -- 11:50PM
Election Eve Info "Dump"
It's fitting that the McCain-Palin campaign ends with a couple of politically motivated pretend nods to transparency.
First Sarah Palin's own personnel board released a report earlier this evening clearing her in the Trooper-Gate investigation. Nice timing.
Now Palin has released a letter from her personal physician proclaiming her to be in good health and fit to serve -- instead of releasing her medical records, which she'd promised to do days ago.
They see fit to do this on the night before the election?
I'll tell you what's transparent: She is so transparently thinking 2012! it's embarrassing.
[Added] Sully's take:
The timing of the release should also surely be interpreted as a giant finger to the press.
West Wing Fans Will Appreciate This Headline
Oliver gets the reference.
Is Dixville Notch Predictive?
In a word: No. There's no historical relationship between the performances of the two major-party candidates In Dixville Notch and their performances in the rest of New Hampshire -- never mind the rest of the country:
[graphic]
Still, you'd rather be up 15-6 than down, wouldn't you?
Hitchens on Khalidi
More specifically, on John McCain's attempt to use Rashid Khalidi as a way to smear Obama. Love Hitch or not, this is awesome.
In my dreams, every wingnut blogger on the Web would be required to type out this column in full ten times before being allowed to post again.
(h/t: BeachFrontView, in the Bloggingheads.tv forums)
Monday, November 03, 2008
Sully's Eve
Andrew Sullivan, in a break from his regular burst blogging, collected his thoughts into a long essay: a combination of a reflection on the past eight years, his own journey through them, and his closing argument for tomorrow. They center around this:
If I were to give one reason why I believe electing Barack Obama is essential tomorrow, it would be an end to this dark, lawless period in American constitutional government.
Dark, but good. Go read. I can only hope more conservatives follow his path.
Oh, and he'll be on Colbert tonight, he sez.
The 50 State Strategy
They laughed when Howard Dean first said it. They pooh-poohed Barack Obama when he echoed it. Palin and the pig people even went so far as to belittle the term community organizer.
Just peachy:
If there is one shocker on election night in the presidential race, cast your eyes to Georgia. 1,994,990 people voted early in Georgia. 3,301,875 total voted in Georgia's presidential race in 2004.
Let that sink in.
Definitely read the whole thing.
[Added] On a related note, check out TPM's report from HQ.
Real World Intrudes, Sadly
Barack Obama's grandmother has died.
"It is with great sadness that we announce that our grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, has died peacefully after a battle with cancer," Obama said in a joint statement with his sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng. "She was the cornerstone of our family, and a woman of extraordinary accomplishment, strength, and humility."
It would have been so nice for her to have been able to last just a few more days.
Those who know me personally are saying the same thing about Gene. Know that I'm think of you, Q family.
[Added] Via TPM, video of Obama speaking about his grandmother, from North Carolina:
Tonic
After the ugliness described in the previous couple of posts, this helps.
And speaking of things no one ever could have imagined ...
... the GOP is running ads featuring Rev. Wright nationwide.
But John McCain is still honorable. These aren't his ads. Oh, no.
The Latest Wingnut Lie About Obama
Seems that NewsBusters, a far right group that purports to be a media watchdog, has stirred up the wingnutosphere with an inaccurate pair of stories. (No one could ever have predicted!)
First, Sarah Palin mentioned yesterday in a speech that a "hidden audio tape" had just been uncovered, in which Obama purportedly made some ominous statements related to coal emissions. I heard about this from one of the resident loons on the Bloggingheads.tv forum, username kidneystones, who has spent most of the past six months reposting the latest lies and smears leaking out of the damp basement that is the wingnutosphere.
In fact, the audio file has been available since the interview was conducted back in January. Read the SFC's statement about that here. Or, read my reply on the forum, which includes the SFC statement and some other links, here.
Next, NewsBusters updated their original post by adding a partial "transcript" of the interview, and the howler monkeys went into full frenzy, all of them copying what NewsBusters had up. kidneystones of course reposted that same "transcript" in the forums.
Yeah, quote marks are in order.
I downloaded the audio file from the page where SFC had it posted. (They don't appear to have ever posted their own transcript of the interview.)
Turns out the NewsBusters "transcript" is incorrect. It has added sentences to make what Obama actually did say sound worse. The wingnutosphere has seized on the bogus transcript to try to create a panic: ZOMG!!!1! Obama promised to bankrupt the entire coal industry!!1!1!!
If your eyes haven't rolled back into your head by this point, and you want to see my transcription of the relevant part of the audio file, visit this page on BH.tv.
Yes, I'm letting them make me as crazy as they are. It'll all be over soon.
Reminder from Obama
[ Find Your Polling Place | Voting Info For Your State | Know Your Voting Rights | Report Voting Problems ]
(h/t to driftglass for the [ links ])
Sunday, November 02, 2008
In My Dreams
Someday I'll be able to write like this:
Over at the indispensable 538, Sean Quinn provides photographic proof of the throbbing beehive of activity and enthusiasm percolating at the McCain field offices, where the phone banks are being manned and womaned by Topper, Casper the Friendly Ghost, the Invisible Man, a sprinkling of mimes, and senior citizens speaking into foam rubber prop phones. Meanwhile, in all of the McCain rallies televised on cable the last couple days he's surrounded not by grownup supporters but schoolkids looking off to the side for their cues to hold up signs for the applause lines. Shouldn't these little scamps be in school being indoctrinated in the teachings of Hegel and Naomi Wolf? Maybe they're getting a day off from classes for Halloween, another small win for Satanism.
-- James Wolcott
Light Bytes
• Why does Dick Cheney hate John McCain? How could he not know Obama would be on that like a chicken on a june bug?
(alt. video link | h/t)
As others have previously noted, this vid shows another difference between the candidates: unlike John McCain and Sarah Palin who smirk at it (e.g.), Obama has a classy way of quashing ugly crowd noises at a rally: "You don't have to boo. Just vote."
• 538 is running an ad in their sidebar that links to a snark site focused on Wardrobegate with the title "Neiman Marxist."
• Scientific integrity exposes spinelessness of GOP smear merchants. (via)
• Joe Biden on John McCain: "You can't call yourself a maverick when all you've been the past eight years is a sidekick."
• More signs of Palin's backstabbing. I'm loving it. (via)
• Most meaningless poll yet, but of course I link to it!
• Ta-Nehisi Coates reacts to Goldfarb's moment of fail (noted earlier):
The town deserves a better class of McCarthyite
I mean, seriously. If he meant Wright, why not say it? Lrn2Nixonpls. Either that or go back to playing Tetris. In your basement. With your kid sister.
• But really, who is Barack Obama??? asks Giblets at fafblog. Much hysteria. Must read. (via)
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Pic of the Day
The GOP faithful at the rally look on approvingly. Unsurprisingly.
(h/t: KK, via email)
Barack Obama on The Daily Show
Probably you already saw this. But if not, here's the appearance Obama did that ran the same night as his infomercial (and props to him for calling it that).
The part about the Bradley Effect is hilarious. The optimism is powerful.
(alt. video link | h/t)
Signs of Looming Unity?
The NYT's editorial page gives a well-deserved shout-out to Fox News's Shepard Smith.
More on the moment in question, plus video, on HuffPo.
You might also add Rick Sanchez to the list. I was too busy chortling over Goldfarb's moment of fail to say so at the time, but I'll say it now: good on you, too, Rick.
That the NYT's opinion pages (and I) can find something good to say about at least some Fox News people suggests at least a starting point: a rejection of the depths to which the McCain campaign has been willing to sink.
Know hope.
Line of the Day: 2008-11-02
To talk with left-leaning Democrats in New Hope, San Francisco or Miami Beach, to drill deep into their id, is to stand at the intersection of Liberal and High Anxiety.
Got a few butterflies? There's a funny piece in the NYT might make you feel a little better, if only to realize, "Well, okay, I'm bad, but I'm not that bad."
E.g.:
Richard Schrader, a senior staff member for a national environmental organization, lives in Amherst, Mass., where politics start liberal and traipse left. He is fairly liberal, but his neighbors worry that he does not worry nearly enough.
[...]
Recently he sat down with a friend who was sweating about Minnesota.
“Minnesota?” Mr. Schrader told his friend. “What, are you kidding me? Obama’s up 14 points there.”
The friend shook his head sadly. Take off seven points for hidden racial animus. Subtract another five for polling error. It is down to two points, and that is within the margin of error in sampling, and that could mean Mr. Obama might be behind.
I find this video, from VoteForChange.com, (which you may have seen before) helps:
Must be the soundtrack -- more of that all-powerful Obama hypnosis stuff.
[Added] Gail Collins adds some more soothing words. Anybody who hates on undecided voters is all right with me.
Idle Thought
Just occurred to me when glancing at the NYT's lead story at the moment (just a throwaway candidates-on-the-trail thing): You know who we haven't seen much of at all during this campaign? Meghan McCain.
I'm sure she's been out there, but you don't see her on stage with her father (and mother), and you don't see random shots or video clips of her out on her own, the way you used to with Chelsea Clinton and that scary-eyes Romney bunch. She's young, but not that young (24, if Wikipedia is to be believed), and reasonably photogenic. I remember she was a bit of a sensation way back when, and fuss was made for about a day over the idea that's she'd be blogging(!), but since then, nothing. I wonder why.
Maybe it's just as well. How many headlines like this do we really need to see?
The same could be asked about McCain's other kids, I suppose, Jack (22), Jimmy (20), and Bridget (17), but it did seem like Meghan was initially being groomed for a role of some sort.
More Numbers
Screen shots from the YouTube home pages for Barack Obama and John McCain, taken about an hour ago:
Obama's channel: Created nearly six months earlier. Updated with picture of running mate. Four times as many subscribers. Nine times as many views.
Obama: Superior preparation. More attention to detail. Better outreach. Better content.
Obama: FTW.
Still think it doesn't matter that John McCain doesn't know how to use email?
Locking Down the Stupid Vote
Republican nominee for Vice President, Sarah Palin, who three weeks ago declared herself "vindicated" and cleared of any "unlawful or unethical activity on my part" for, you know, being found guilty of abuse of power by the Alaska Legislature, turned to the next page in her Big Playbook Of Playing To The Base during an interview with a conservative radio station this past Friday:
If [the media] convince enough voters that that is negative campaigning, for me to call Barack Obama out on his associations, then I don't know what the future of our country would be in terms of First Amendment rights and our ability to ask questions without fear of attacks by the mainstream media.
[...]
It's sort of perplexing to me, because I'm a practical person and plainspoken also, but just cutting to the chase and calling things like I see them, just like most Americans. But this has not left a bitter taste in my mouth, the bitter shots taken by the mainstream media and by some of the elitism there in Washington.
What this has left me with is a very energized and positive feeling about America, because there are enough Americans who are desiring the positive change that John McCain's gonna usher in.
Can you not see the typical audience member, slack-jawed, nodding in agreement, perhaps a string of drool dangling? "Yeah, yeah, what she said. The media takes away Governor Palin's First Amendment rights. Right! Stupid media!"
(h/t: Andrew Sullivan)
The Wingnutosphere in a Nutshell
From Ace of Spades HQ:
Again, whether this is real or hoax, we damn well need to act like it's true (because it is) and get out there.
Ace of Spades, if you've lost track, is CPAC Blogger of the Year. The above was evidently posted by one of his co-bloggers, but I think you take my point.
If you'd rather not risk your sanity by clicking, I will summarize for you. No, no. Don't thank me. I'm just indulging one of my morbid fascinations.
The above blockquote refers to the latest shiny object, a blog post on RedState.com, claiming to be an email from "Anonymous_14," purportedly written by an Obama campaign worker, who claims to have previously been a Hillary campaign worker, "all the way to the bitter end. And believe me, it was bitter," who, after moving to the Obama campaign after the primaries, "was still bitterly loyal to Hillary."
She reports that Obama knows his "only chance is to foster disorganization, chaos, despair, and a sense of inevitability among the Republicans." She discusses "our misinformation networks," the "spirited campaign … to infiltrate many pro-Hillary sites and discredit them," the "more disorganized, but genuine effort" that has "been made to sow doubts among the unapologetically right wing sites such as redstate.com," and other techniques that are "all part of the poll-skewing process." She reveals that Joe the Plumber "scares us more than anything" and Sarah Palin, lack of support among Hillary voters, and the Bradley effect are "what the Obama campaign already knows are their weak links."
"Our internal polling" is next, revealing that Obama has "next to no chance" in a long list of swing states (all of which pollster.com shows Obama leading by anywhere from 2% to 13%). We move then to the current VP scuttlebutt --- "Obama actually went against the advice of his top advisors," all of whom recommended Hillary but were "overruled" by Michelle, and now it is unanimously agreed that Biden "has been a disaster."
And then there's Ayers and other "radical connections," for which the Obama campaign has secret plans to combat, which leads to [hold on tight now]: "McCain has wisely not harped on this in recent weeks." And of course the big finish, which will shock, shock you: "What I do know is that I will not be voting for Obama this time around."
Yeah. All the subtlety of a 2x4 between the eyes, i'n'it? And yet the wingnuts are on it like rabid, starving weasels.
Once more, and this time with feeling and much added emphasis:
Again, whether this is real or hoax, we damn well need to act like it's true (because it is) and get out there.
Where's the purple crayon font when you need it?
(h/t: Teh Sadlys)
[Added] And speaking of rabid weasels, do you think they are on this over at Flowbee's House of Hate? Does a bear poop in the pine trees?
I just spoke with both Lynette Long and Larry Johnson. Lynette is redoubling her original verification of this post. Regardless, as Larry Johnson points out, this post has INTERESTING and VALID POINTS TO MAKE … for heaven’s sake don’t get bogged down by the source or where else you think you saw it. That doesn’t matter.
Of course it doesn't.
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